“MU HADU A MINJIBIR”: Kano’s Most Trendy Political Slogan?

Anyone familiar with politics the world over knows that political slogans constitutes an important tool for keeping supporters active, and, perhaps, a ticket to victory if well drafted. The campaign slogan “Yes We Can” used by President Barack Obama during his first outing as United States presidential candidate in 2008 was among the finest choice of campaign slogans ever made in history. It was this slogan and its emotional attachments that swept voters across America and landed the first black President in United States’ history.

A closer look at home, and into the 2015 general elections, the same thing could be said of All Progressive Congress’ (APC) choice of the word “CHANGE’ as its campaign slogan. The choice of the word ” CHANGE” perfectly fit into the need of majority Nigerians who were tired of the 16years that the People Democratic Party spent in power.

The Kano bye-election scheduled to hold tomorrow being 30th July, 2016 has caught the eyes of many observers both in and outside the country. An election to elect Member who will replace the deceased member in the state’s House of Assembly from Minjibir local government area of the state may sound trivial or unimportant to many. However, its beyond a mere election to elect member House of Assembly, its a test of popularity and who owns the grassroots between an already divided camps – the Ganduje faction versus Kwankwasiyya loyalists.

“Mu hadu a Minjibir” which literally means “let’s settle the score in Minjibir” is gaining aggressive popularity among the kwankwasiyya loyalists who are angry with the move by the Ganduje led administration to expunged anything that has to do with the Kwankwasiyya legacy. The political structures of Kano states laid by former Governor Rabilu Musa Kwankwaso has been altered by his erstwhile deputy and successor to the throne of Kano government house.

With almost 100% loyalists from the State House of Assembly who publicly ditched the symbolic Kwankwasiyya red caps, Governor Ganduje may have felt enough muscles to move on without the man he served diligently for over two decades.

Having altered the political structures laid by Kwankwaso, and the subsequent mass cleansing of the Kwankwasiyya legacies, the Ganduje led administration may still be missing something important to Kwankwasiyya faction, and that is undoubtedly the grassroot support they enjoyed. Certainly, Governor Ganduje faction has a long way to go if they ever wanted to turn Kanawa against the man who gave their state a look befitting of any modern state.

Undoubtedly, the Minjibir decider will likely produce more votes for the People Democratic Party candidate against the All Progressive Congress candidate backed by Kano state government. To majority of Kwankwasiyya loyalists, its beyond anti-party, its a better retaliation. From whichever side we look at it, tomorrow’s bye election will chart a new course in the history book of Kano Politics. And perhaps, a pointer to what to expect in 2019.

Indeed, Kanawa are known to be fearless in pursuit of any political goal they believe in. Its therefore imperative to note that no executive power can force the already disappointed Kwankwasiyya loyalist to vote for Ganduje’s anointed candidate, unless of course, the Kanawas decided to swallow their grievances to prevent having a lone PDP member in the state House of Assembly.

It was Aristophanes, a playwright of ancient Athens who once said. “To win the people, always cook them some savoury that pleases them.”